Mostly measured in bytes, not bits. Data sent along a network link in the form of “bits,”. It is sent serially, which means one bit at a time. Network connections are typically rated in “megabits”, which refers to approximately one million bits. A gigabit refers to one billion bits. Although this is the common nomenclature to describe network data speeds, most users are more perceptive of the rate at which files are transferred over the network.